Introduction to the Goto Islands

From the Onidake Observatory, you can see Fukue city below and the islands scattered outside Fukue Port, providing a soothing view to the souls of visitors. The surrounding area is equipped with tourist facilities and serves as a base for sightseeing on Fukue Island.

It was built in 1897 (Meiji 30) by French missionary Father Peyroux. Father Peyroux, who was in charge of pastoral care for the Goto Islands, heard in 1891 that the Lourdes Grotto had been recreated in the Vatican, and called on Goto's faithful to collect strangely shaped rocks and rare stones from the island, creating the first Lourdes in Japan in 1899.

This chalky white lighthouse is built on a cliff that stands tall at the westernmost tip of Fukue Island in the Goto Islands. Beyond it you can see a magnificent panoramic view of the East China Sea.

The first wooden church in Goto was built by Father Marman in 1879. The current brick church was completed by Father Peyroux, who took up the post later, in 1908. Some of the materials used for construction were brought from Italy, and the interior is made of wood with colored glass windows and a timber ceiling.

This church stands in the "Hikagashima Village," a component part of the World Heritage Site "Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region." The exterior is a simple Japanese-style building, but the interior is a valuable relic that tells the history of church architecture in the early Meiji period, with a three-aisle structure and a Gothic wooden ribbed vault ceiling.

This church is part of the "Egami Village," which is part of the "Hidden Christian Heritage Sites of Nagasaki and the Amakusa Region." Built with the income of the islanders, who work in fishing, the church's dedicated work can be seen in the hand-painted wood grain patterns on the pillars and the clear glass windows painted with flowers.

From the end of the Edo period to the beginning of the Meiji period, persecution of Christians occurred throughout Nagasaki, and in 1868, the first year of the Meiji era, a storm of persecution raged.
In order to escape persecution, Christians hid in caves that could only be reached by boat. The cave is about a 10-minute ferry ride from Wakamatsu Port, and is 50 meters deep, 5 meters high, and 5 meters wide. Looking closely, it is a dome-shaped cave in the shape of a cross, and the entrance cannot be seen from the coast, making this a perfect hiding place.

The wooden church, built in 1925, features a ceiling and floral decorations that are very similar to those of the now-defunct Hosoishiryu Church on Hisakajima Island.
On a clear day, the church is reflected in the water, creating a beautiful sight that is soothing to anyone.

This stone cathedral in the "Kashirashima Village" was registered as a World Heritage Site "Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region" in 2018. In contrast to its oppressive exterior, this stone church is rare nationwide, and the interior is decorated with floral patterns, giving it a gorgeous atmosphere.